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In China, VR Using HTC Vive Doesn't Need a PC Anymore

Submitted by Kenneth Kwok on Fri, 09/22/2017 - 07:18

From PC Mag: Virtual reality headsets may be slowly dropping in price, but they aren't the only hardware you need to enjoy VR. There's also the small matter of a PC powerful enough to cope with the demands of whichever virtual world you wish to experience.

In China, the PC problem is being solved by removing it from the equation. As Engadget reports, HTC China announced a new partnership with Dalian Television and Beijing Cyber Cloud. What that allows is for the HTC Vive to be connected to a set top box and the VR experience streamed over the Internet.

The service will be offered as a subscription package complete with a 60Mbps broadband connection. The costs include a $455 refundable deposit followed by a monthly subscription of roughly $76. Choosing that option means the Vive isn't yours, it's just rented. If you want to own the Vive$599.00 at Best Buy, that will cost $1,055 and includes one year of access to streamed VR. In China, the Vive hardware costs north of $800 on its own.